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The Queen's Diamond Jubilee 2012

Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 with a number of special events. For an extended weekend full of celebrations, the late May bank holiday was moved to Monday, June 4th, and will be followed by the special Diamond Jubilee bank holiday on Tuesday, June 5th 2012. (View the dates of UK Bank Holidays in 2012.) The four-day Jubilee weekend marks the Queen's past 60 years of reign after she came to the throne on 6 February 1952.

Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee in 2002, is the only British Monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, except for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. As the Queen is head of the Commonwealth of Nations, the celebrations will include the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Caribbean realms and other Commonwealth countries. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, will travel across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for Jubilee Celebrations from March to July 2012.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the UK include:-

The Diamond Jubilee Pageant: Windsor Castle holds the pageant on May 10th, 11th and 13th 2012, including many spectacular acts and displays from the areas of culture, military and equestrian.

The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: 1,000 boats will follow the Queen's Royal Barge along the Thames on June 3rd 2012.

The Big Jubilee Lunch: In the course of the Big Jubilee Lunch, everyone is invited to have a street party or picnic with their neighbours on June 3rd 2012.

BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace: The BBC hosts a free music concert for UK residents at Buckingham Palace on June 4th 2012.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Beacons: On June 4th, the Queen will light the National Beacon. A network of further 2,012 beacons will be lit simultaneously throughout the UK.

Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession: St Paul's Cathedral is the venue for a Thanksgiving service followed by a carriage Procession by the Queen on June 5th 2012.

Along with the Jubilee celebrations, Greenwich will be granted the status of a Royal Borough of London to join the three existing royal boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea, Windsor & Maidenhead and Kingston-upon-Thames.

Diamond Jubilee Exhibitions

Special exhibitions will be held for the Diamond Jubilee throughout the UK, such as displays at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, organised by the Royal Collection.

The exhibition at Buckingham Palace is titled 'Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration' and will feature diamonds worn by British monarchs over the past two centuries, such as the Coronation Necklace and Earrings.

The 'Royal River: Power, Pageantry and the Thames ' exhibition will open at the National Maritime Museum in April 2012.

'The Queen: Art and Image' can be viewed at the National Portrait Gallery.